“Florence Nightingale”
Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) was a British nurse who dedicated her life to caring for the sick and improving health care. She is universally recognized as a heroine for her nursing work during the Crimean War of the early 19th century when she labored tirelessly to improve conditions and help wounded British soldiers at a hospital in Turkey. She is also universally recognized as a trailblazing figure in nursing who brought about policy change for the proper care of patients, as well as for laying the foundation of modern nursing.[1]
William Branham often claimed that Florence Nightingale was Divinely healed of a near fatal cancerous disease after he prayed for her. However, it was not possible for him to have prayed for the world-renowned pioneer nurse and public-health advocate, Florence Nightingale, because she lived from 1820–1910 and therefore died when he was only a newborn baby.[2]
From his claims below, it is also apparent that it was not the world-renowned Florence Nightingale who he allegedly prayed for, but another Florence Nightingale who he claimed was directly related to her,
“And he came into my room, he said, “Brother Branham looky here.” Just about a night before this picture was taken. And there he give me the picture of Miss Florence Nightingale, a great-great granddaughter of the late Florence Nightingale from England, that went down into Africa. And she was dying with a malignant growth over the…?… of the stomach. And they held up her picture.” “Who Hath Believed Our Report?” (51-0719).
“Now, I was just thinking of just before leaving, I was in Houston, Texas, having a—a meeting there when the—I was called to South Africa, to fly down, and to visit a Miss Florence Nightingale. She’s a—a granddaughter of the late Florence Nightingale, which is the founder of the Red Cross. Many of you know of Florence Nightingale. And this is one of her granddaughters.” “The Principles Of Divine Healing” (51-0923).
“Now, just a little testimony. I will pick up tonight in our journey overseas, as I left off last night with the healing of Mrs. Nightingale. I just wonder how much impact her testimony has in South Africa when we get there, such a noted person…?… She’s the great granddaughter of the founder of the Red Cross, and a noted woman.” “At Thy Word” (51-0928).
By portraying “Miss Florence Nightingale” to have been related to Florence Nightingale, the founder of the Red Cross, as he did above, William Branham appeared to have prayed for a more significant or important person. However, the Florence Nightingale he purportedly prayed for was not the granddaughter, great-granddaughter or great-great-granddaughter of that world-renowned figure, as he claimed.
Footnotes:
[1] Sources: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/florence-nightingale-important-figures-in-history.html, https://www.biography.com/scientist/florence-nightingale and https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/resources/documents/feature/2010/florence-nightingale-feature-110810.htm
[2] “Florence Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy, on May 12, 1820.” . . . “A revered hero of her time, she died on August 13, 1910, in London.” Source: https://www.biography.com/scientist/florence-nightingale
In fact, the world-renowned Florence Nightingale never had any children and therefore was never a grandmother of a “Miss Florence Nightingale”, as is evident from the following,
“Nightingale had a number of male admirers, and during her life received at least two proposals of marriage. However, she believed God had chosen her for her work, and she never married or had children.”[3]
“Although several men courted Nightingale, she never married for fear that it would interfere with her nursing career.”[4]
Who then was “Miss Florence Nightingale” for whom William Branham allegedly prayed?
Apparently, it was a woman by the name of “Florence Nightingale Shirlaw” whose first and middle name were merely the same as the first and last name of the world-renowned Florence Nightingale. Her identity is evident from the testimony that the late Reverend Gwilam I Francis provided in the November 1954 issue of the “Voice of Healing” magazine on page 6, which is transcribed below and can be read in original form here,
Dear Brother Lindsay
Greetings In order to introduce myself, I am the Minister who met Brother William Branham and the party of four members, which included yourself, at the London Airport, on Good Friday, 1950, and you will remember that on the following Sunday afternoon, Brother Branham and myself visited Miss Florence Nightingale Shirlaw, at her mother's home at 11, Clarendon Road, London, W II The enquiry regarding the healing of Miss Shirlaw has been brought to my notice, but I have not been in touch with The World Science Review, as there were actually a few minor details in the report by Julius Stadsklev, which were not quite accurate, but they do not in any way affect the miraculous healing of our sister, Miss Shirlaw We were only four persons in the room that Sunday afternoon, consisting of Miss Shirlaw, her mother, Brother Branham and myself, and you will probably recall that we were there for over an hour When the atmosphere seemed to be charged with the presence and power of God, Brother Branham took Miss Shirlaw's hand and offered a very short prayer, after which he requested her to eat. That is all that happened in that room And you will remember that Brother Branham, yourself, Brother Moore and Brother Branham's brother returned to our home for tea. Although Miss Shirlaw's recovery took a few weeks, I was in constant touch with her during this period Her healing was nevertheless miraculous, and I can confirm the accuracy of both photographs of her, prior and subsequent to Brother Branham's visit
Should you require any further information on this matter, I shall be very pleased to write you as requested
Rev Gwilam I Francis
Whereas the world-renowned Florence Nightingale lived from 1820–1910, Florence Nightingale Shirlaw lived from 1915–1992.[5]
Florence Nightingale Shirlaw's parents were Ethel Gertrude Oxley and James Reid Shirlaw.[5]
Her mother's mother was Mary Ann Oxley, born Sadger, and father's mother was Mary Shirlaw.[6] Thus, the grandmothers of Florence Nightingale Shirlaw were Mary Ann Oxley and Mary Shirlaw and not Florence Nightingale, as William Branham claimed.
William Branham's claims that “Miss Florence Nightingale” was a granddaughter of the founder of the Red Cross are also false.
Not only are William Branham's claims above about “Miss Florence Nightingale” being related to the “noted” Florence Nightingale false, but so are his claims above that she was a granddaughter of the founder of the Red Cross.
From the below quotations, it is apparent that Florence Nightingale was not the founder of the Red Cross, as he claimed, but Henri Dunant and Clara Barton were its founders,
“The International Red Cross was founded by Henri Dunant in 1863, and is the largest volunteer humanitarian organization in the world! Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881.”[7]
“The first effort at international standards came through the efforts of Swiss businessman Henri Dunant, the founder of the International Red Cross.”[8]
“Since our founding by Clara Barton on May 21, 1881, the American Red Cross has been dedicated to serving people in need.”[9]
Footnotes:
[3] Source: https://www.famousscientists.org/florence-nightingale/
[4] Source: https://www.choleraandthethames.co.uk/cholera-in-london/cholera-in-soho/florence-nightingale/
[5] Source: https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/MCQS-D9X/florence-nightingale-shirlaw-1915-1992
[6] Sources: https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/K67K-GDC/ethel-gertrude-oxley-1876-1963 and
https://www.myheritage.com/names/james_shirlaw
[7] Source: https://unitedwaytriangle.galaxydigital.com/agency/detail/?agency_id=23020
[8] Source: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05292009/profile3.html
[9] Source: https://www.redcross.org/about-us/who-we-are/history.html
Contradictory claims about the prayer gathering for “Florence Nightingale Shirlaw” and what took place at the time.
As is evident in the Nov. 1954 issue of “The Voice of Healing”, Reverend Francis identified himself as a first-hand witness who was present in the room when William Branham prayed for Florence Nightingale Shirlaw in 1950.
As such a witness, Francis said he recognized that there were “a few minor details in the report by Julius Stadsklev, which were not quite accurate.” (That “report” about Miss Shirlaw was published in 1952 by Stadsklev in his book entitled, “William Branham: A Prophet Visits South Africa” and can be read on page 43 here.)
Although Stadsklev traveled with the Branham campaign in South Africa during the last three months of 1951, he was not present when Branham prayed for her in England the year before.
Without witnessing what occurred at the time, Stadsklev apparently based his “report” about Miss Shirlaw on what one or more individuals told him (i.e. hearsay).
Because Reverend Francis recognized that Stadsklev's “report” contains inaccurate details,
he apparently wanted to give his first-hand account of what actually took place when Miss Shirlaw was prayed for.
He evidently recognized the underlined statements below to be inaccurate in the “report”,
“. . .the Branham party landed in England on their way to Finland. . . . When the Branham party stepped off the plane, William Branham's name was called over the loud speaker. Florence Nightingale had arrived at the airport just fifteen minutes before and those with her had put this call for Brother Branham to come quickly because they thought she was dying. The place was so crowded that they were informed to get in touch with him at Piccadilly Hotel. This was done and arrangements were made for him to come to her hotel.
It was one of those foggy days in April when they motored to the hotel where she was staying. No one in the party had ever seen a human being in such a pitiful condition as the woman in that room. . . .
They all, including a minister of the Church of England as well as her nurses, knelt and began to pray for her.” Stadsklev, Julius“William Branham: A Prophet Visits South Africa” (1952).
Reverend Francis, in turn, identified where Florence Nightingale Shirlaw was actually prayed for, who was present and what took place, as follows,
“In order to introduce myself, I am the Minister who met Brother William Branham and the party of four members, which included yourself, at the London Airport, on Good Friday, 1950, and you will remember that on the following Sunday afternoon, Brother Branham and myself visited Miss Florence Nightingale Shirlaw, at her mother's home at 11, Clarendon Road, London, W II . . . We were only four persons in the room that Sunday afternoon, consisting of Miss Shirlaw, her mother, Brother Branham and myself, and you will probably recall that we were there for over an hour When the atmosphere seemed to be charged with the presence and power of God, Brother Branham took Miss Shirlaw's hand and offered a very short prayer, after which he requested her to eat That is all that happened in that room” “The Voice of Healing”, p. 6, November, 1954.
Even though Reverend Francis provided the above first-hand account in the Nov. 1954 issue of “The Voice of Healing” of what actually occurred when Miss Shirlaw was prayed for, William Branham affirmed in 1960 that “everything is accurate” in Stadsklev's book,
“I was just looking… The boys probably been selling these books up here. I just turning through it, nervously, a few moments ago, and struck this picture of Miss. Nightingale. I certainly remember that. When that was take—that… But this book doesn’t give the full detail of it. Mr. Stadsklev printed this book; it’s very good, very fine book. Everything is accurate, because it’s been—went through the fire and trials. Miss. Nightingale, now, she was a relative of the late Florence Nightingale. This woman’s name is Florence Nightingale, and she’s a nurse. But she wasn’t, of course, Florence Nightingale, the regular—original founder of the Red Cross. But she’s from England, and she was a—a nurse, and she was a distant relative of Miss. Florence Nightingale, the founder of the Red Cross.” “Thirsting For Life” (60-0304).
In Reverend Francis' account above, it is evident that he did not identify the prayer for Florence Nightingale Shirlaw as taken place in a hotel room like Julius Stadsklev did and William Branham affirmed was accurate. Rather, he identified it as taken place in a room at her mother's home.
Six years after Reverend Francis did so in “The Voice of Healing” magazine, William Branham contradicted his own claim that “Everything is accurate” in Stadsklev's book by asserting that the prayer for “Mrs. Nightingale” took place in a parish behind a minister's church, as follows,
“And so when we went on to Picadilly Hotel, the minister came and got me that next morning, and we went to his parish right behind his church where they had Mrs. Nightingale with two nurses attending her. . . .
But when I seen Florence Nightingale, she was laying there with a sheet over her. . . .
And—and as I knelt down to pray, the first thing I started off prayer like this, I said, “Almighty God, Creator of heavens and earth, Author of Everlasting Life, Giver of all good gifts…” “Thirsting For Life” (60-0304).
And contrary to the first-hand witness account of Reverend Francis above, which indicates that there were “only four persons” in the room, William Branham claimed that there were ten or more people in the room who prayed with him for “Miss Florence Nightingale”, as follows,
“We went upstairs to the place where they packed her stretcher, near the parsonage of a big Anglican church. And in the room set her doctor, two nurses, two or three ministers when the campaign manager—managers and myself walked in. . . .About ten people were present to watch it. “Do You Now Believe?” (53-1106).
“Brother Baxter, and Brother Lindsay, Brother Moore, myself, and two or three ministers, and the nurses, and the loved ones of the home; I said, 'Let us bow for prayer.'” “The Church Of The Living God” (51-0727).
“Her doctor was there and two nurses, several of the ministers, the Anglican ministers. . . . So I said, 'Will you brethren, the doctor and all of you, will you kneel for prayer?' Brother Baxter, Brother Gordon Lindsay, and many of them that you know, knelt in the room.” “Expectations” (53-0507).
William Branham's claims that Gordon Lindsay knelt and prayed with them in the room are also false because Gordon Lindsay (campaign manager and the Editor of the Voice of Healing) specifically identified himself as not being in room in the aforesaid Nov. 1954 issue of the magazine, as follows,
“The Editor of THE VOICE OF HEALING was present at the time Miss Florence Nightingale Shirlaw was prayed for (though not in the room)”
As is evident above, Reverend Francis also explicitly made it known that there were only three things that happened in the room, as follows,
“Brother Branham took Miss Shirlaw's hand and offered a very short prayer, after which he requested her to eat That is all that happened in that room” “The Voice of Healing”, p. 6, November, 1954.
However, William Branham claimed that more happened in the room than those three things, some of which were related to a turtledove that allegedly appeared. As is evident below, the claims he made about the turtledove and the ministers are not consistent with each other and are therefore misleading.
On July 19, 1951, he claimed that a turtledove appeared at a window when he began to pray for “Florence Nightingale” and the ministers remarked about the dove after it flew away,
“And when I went to pray for her, just as I started praying… Brother Baxter here is one witness. As I started to pray, a little turtledove flew at the window, begin to go, 'Coo, coo, coo, coo.' And all… I started down. I said, 'Our Father, Who art in heaven…' The little turtledove started going, “Coo, coo.” I said, 'Hallowed be Thy Name.' He said, 'Coo, coo,' walking back and forth. And when I finished my prayer, and said, 'Amen,' and asked for her healing, the little turtledove flew away. The ministers remarked.” “Who Hath Believed Our Report?” (51-0719).
On July 27, 1951 (eight days later), William Branham contradicted himself by claiming that the ministers remarked about the dove before it flew away,
“And when I started to pray… My Bible is open before me. And our heavenly Father is near to listen to what I have to say, and what you… Just as I started to pray, I said, 'Our Father Who art in heaven,' a little dove flew at the window. And he started going, “coo, coo,” walking back and forth, 'coo, coo.' And all the time I was praying, he cooed. And when I raised up, the ministers started to say, 'Did you detect the dove?' And as I raised up, the dove flew away. And as I started to say that I heard the dove… As you see here it here in the night, I had no control of what I was going to say, and said, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD, you’ll live and not die.'” “The Church Of The Living God” (51-0727).
On September 23, 1951 and July 13, 1952, William Branham's story changes back to say that the ministers remarked about the dove after it flew away. (In the second story from 1952, he added a claim that the ministers quit praying and watched the dove after he ended his prayer and the dove flew away),
“I knelt down to pray, and I’d… Those ministers all gathered around. And I started praying. I said, 'Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name…' and just as I said that, a little turtledove flew in the window and begin to walk up and down the cell—sill of the window, going, 'Coo, Coo, Coo.' And all the time I was praying, he walked back and forth, up and down the sill of the window. Then when I said, 'Amen,' the little fellow spread his wings and flew away. Those ministers raised up and said, 'Did you notice?' And before I could say anything, the Spirit of the Lord came and told her that she’d be well.” “The Principles Of Divine Healing” (51-0923).
“And I said, 'God, no more can I do, but I commit her to You now. Oh, my Father, hear me in the Name of Your Son, Jesus.' And I said, “Amen.” When I said, amen, the little turtledove had just constantly walked real restless up-and-down there, and he flew away. And when he flew away, those ministers had done quit praying, and was watching the dove. So when I raised up they said, 'Did you notice that dove?' And I started to say, “I…” And when I did, something caught me, I said, “THUS SAITH THE LORD, this woman will live and not die.”” “Early Spiritual Experiences” (52-0713A).
Then on November 6, 1953, William Branham's story changes to say that he thought the dove was a pet and all the ministers stopped praying before he did,
“And when I started to pray, a little dove come flying through the bushes and lit on the windowsill about that far from where I was praying. Well, I… Not new thing, when I’ve only been there about twelve hours or a little more. I thought the little dove was just a pet, you know, that was around the house. And I just continued to pray. And when I got finished praying and asked God to help her (I couldn’t ask to let her die,) and that He would be merciful to her… And when I… All the time I praying, this little dove, very restless, of unrest, walking up-and-down going, 'Coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo.' Why, you know how little doves kinda mournfully goes, walking back and forth on the window about as wide as this little table.
About ten people were present to watch it. And I noticed all the ministers stopped praying, every one. When I said, 'Amen,' the little fellow took his flight back out to the bushes. Well, I raised up, and of course, was weeping a little, all of us. And the ministers begin to say, 'Did you notice that dove?' And I started to ask if it was just a pet dove. And I had no more that I could say, and knowed no more what I was going to say, but all of a sudden, something burst through and said, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD, she’ll live and not die.'” “Do You Now Believe?” (53-1106).
On November 29, 1953, William Branham changed his story further to say that because the ministers stopped praying, he just kept on praying and claimed once again that he did not respond to the ministers when they asked him if he noticed the dove,
“Well, the ministers stopped praying. They started watching the dove, all of the rest of them. Well, I thought it was just a… I never been in England before. I thought it was a pet or something, so I just kept on praying. And when I said, 'Amen,' and raised up the little fellow flew back out to the bushes again, laying, after laying, going, 'coo, coo, coo.' Just restless, walking back and forth, up and down the sill. And I raised up, and I heard them begin to say, 'Did you notice that dove? Did you notice that dove?' And I started to say, I said… Was going to say, 'Yes, I noticed the dove. Was it a pet?'
And as I started to say that, Something caught me and said, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD, she’ll live and not die.'” “Testimony” (53-1129E).
On March 4, 1960, his story changed from “the ministers stopped praying” to they “seemed to stop.” Therein, he contradicted his claims that he did not respond to the ministers when they asked if he noticed the dove by claiming he conversed with one of them about it as soon as he stopped praying. He also made his first and only claim that he saw a vision of “Mrs. Nightingale” before pronouncing her healed,
“And this little dove seemed to be so restlessly. And the rest of the ministers who was praying with me, seemed to stop. And then, as I kept on praying, when I said, 'Father, I pray that You’ll be merciful to her, and if You are going take her life and not let her live, then let her go in ease. Let her go to be with You now. But if it be Your will that You’re going to let her get well, then Father, let her get well.' and when I got through praying, I said, 'Amen,' and the little dove took off through the fog again. Well, I—as soon as I stopped praying, the ministers by me, he looked over to another minister, he said, 'Did you notice that dove?' I said, “What was that dove? Is that a pet?” Said, 'No. It wasn’t a pet,' the minister said, 'it was just a dove that acted funny.' And I started to turn to say to Mrs. Nightingale, I started to say, 'Well, I thought it was your pet.' And when it did like that, something said, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD.' Oh, my, there over almost her casket where she was laying, there was a vision of her walking along down the street. This is a picture of it right here, how she was a little later. That’s what I saw in the vision. Then it come, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD, you’re going to live and not die.' And when I said that, I thought, 'Them things are so supernatural; I don’t understand them. I don’t know what they mean.'” “Thirsting For Life” (60-0304).
In this story of his from September 1, 1963, William Branham specifically claimed that he “hadn't been in England but about an hour” when he prayed for Miss Nightingale and the “little turtledove” appeared,
“And while I started to pray, a little turtledove come, flew on the window, begin to walk up and down, cooing. I thought it was a pet. I hadn’t been in England but about an hour, just coming from the airport down there. And I thought it was a pet. And when I raised up, and said, “Amen,” it flew away. And I started to ask the brethren, did they hear that dove. And they were talking about it, and when I started to say, 'Did you see, what that dove mean…' It come out, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD, you will live and not die.' And she is living today.” “Desperations” (63-0901E).
However, his claim that he “hadn't been England but about an hour” when he prayed for her is directly contradicted by these earlier claims of his wherein he explicitly states that he prayed for her the day after arriving in England,
“When I went in to London, the day that we arrived on the International Airport in London, on our road to the Scandinavian country and to pray for the king… I heard them page me. . . .They couldn’t get the woman out of the plane, they thought she was dead then. And I said, “Well, there’s thousands of people between here and the plane. I couldn’t get to it. I’m going down to Buckingham Palace, then to Westminster Abbey, and then I’ll—I’ll be at the Piccadilly Hotel, you come get me, we’ll go have prayer for her.” And when we got up to there, of course, the night passed on and I didn’t get in till late.
Next morning we come, and we went to have prayer for Mrs. Nightingale, they said, “She’s just living.” “Do You Now Believe?” (53-1106).
“There was ministers there, paging me. They said, “Come out here. That Miss Florence Nightingale from Africa, just come in a plane ahead of you. She’s dying, and wants you to come to her.” Oh, how could I get to her there in all that mass? I told him, I said, “You take her on to your home. I want to go down there to Buckingham Palace. And then you call me, and I will be at the Piccadilly Hotel.” Brother Baxter and I fixed it up with him. We went on to the hotel.
And on the second day, after we’d went to the palace, and up to John Wesley’s place, and so forth, we came back down the Westminster Abbey. Then we went into the hotel. And this minister, English minister, called, with his little cab. And we went down to his house, and it’s kindly foggy that morning. We went up… had a lovely place, and his big church. We went upstairs. And there were many of them to welcome us. . . .Brother Baxter, and Brother Lindsay, Brother Moore, myself, and two or three ministers, and the nurses, and the loved ones of the home; I said, 'Let us bow for prayer.'” “The Church Of The Living God” (51-0727).
And said, “Florence Nightingale has just flew in a few minutes ahead.” Said, “She’s dying out here in a plane.” Why there was thousands of people had gathered there. I couldn’t even get near the place. I told that Anglican minister, I said, “Take her to your parsonage. I’m going down to Westminster Abbey. And after that, I’m going over to Buckingham Palace. I will be to see you.” And I didn’t get to see her till the next morning.” “Expectations” (53-0507).
William Branham's contradictory claims that he prayed for “Florence Nightingale” after arriving in London within “about an hour” and “the next morning” are further contradicted by Reverend Francis' first-hand account above, in which he made it known that William Branham arrived in London on Good Friday and visited and prayed for Miss Shirlaw the following Sunday afternoon,
“In order to introduce myself, I am the Minister who met Brother William Branham and the party of four members, which included yourself, at the London Airport, on Good Friday, 1950, and you will remember that on the following Sunday afternoon, Brother Branham and myself visited Miss Florence Nightingale Shirlaw, at her mother's home . . .
Brother Branham took Miss Shirlaw's hand and offered a very short prayer”
Although Reverend Francis asserted that William Branham's prayer was very short by stating,
“Brother Branham took Miss Shirlaw's hand and offered a very short prayer” “The Voice of Healing”, p. 6, November, 1954.
William Branham claimed that he “kept on praying” and stated all of the following in his prayer (making it not very short),
“And—and as I knelt down to pray, the first thing I started off prayer like this, I said, 'Almighty God, Creator of heavens and earth, Author of Everlasting Life, Giver of all good gifts…' And when I got through with that, there’s a little dove flew from somewhere, and set on the sill of that window. And it was just about that far from my head. And the little fellow was restlessly walking back and forth going, 'Coo, coo.' You know how they go. Well, I thought it was a pet at the house. I just thought it was a little pet dove. I’d just been in England about twenty-four hours, or hardly that long; and I thought it was a little pet dove. So I just kept on praying; I said, 'Heavenly Father, I—this poor woman laying here a dying, and she’s asked to me to—to pray that You would take her life because she’s beyond herself like, and she’s nothing to build to. But God, You are still Creator; You—You are still God.' And this little dove seemed to be so restlessly. And the rest of the ministers who was praying with me, seemed to stop. And then, as I kept on praying, when I said, 'Father, I pray that You’ll be merciful to her, and if You are going take her life and not let her live, then let her go in ease. Let her go to be with You now. But if it be Your will that You’re going to let her get well, then Father, let her get well.' and when I got through praying, I said, 'Amen,' and the little dove took off through the fog again.” “Thirsting For Life” (60-0304).
William Branham's claim that he prayed the above prayer, is also contradicted by his claim that his prayer consisted of the following,
And I said, “Almighty God, the Creator of heavens and earth, and the Giver of all good gifts, I pray Thee, that Thy blessings may rest upon this poor dying mortal. And Almighty God Who separated me from my mother, and fed me all the days of my life, knows that in my heart, I can’t ask for her death, when she’s prayed so hard for her life. O God, You said, ‘The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man,’ and I know that a righteous man is not righteous in hisself, but in trusting in the grace of Jesus Christ, I ask You to be merciful to her.” And I said, “God, no more can I do, but I commit her to You now. Oh, my Father, hear me in the Name of Your Son, Jesus.” And I said, “Amen.” “Early Spiritual Experiences” (52-0713A).
He further contradicted his claim that he “started off prayer” by stating, 'Almighty God, Creator of heavens and earth, Author of Everlasting Life, Giver of all good gifts…', by claiming that he started off with the Lord's prayer,
“And I started praying. I said, 'Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name…' and just as I said that, a little turtledove flew in the window and begin to walk up and down the cell—sill of the window, going, 'Coo, Coo, Coo.' And all the time I was praying, he walked back and forth, up and down the sill of the window. Then when I said, 'Amen,' the little fellow spread his wings and flew away.'” “The Principles Of Divine Healing” (51-0923).
“And I knelt down by a window, was about that high from me; I said, 'Our Father, who art in heaven,' about that time something come flying through the bushes. It was a little turtledove. He sit on the edge of this window, looked right down like that, and begin to walk back and forth, up-and-down the window, going 'Coo-coo-coo-coo.' I continued to pray. The rest of the ministers stopped.” “Expectations” (53-0507).
Did William Branham insert a “turtledove” into his story about Florence Nightingale Shirlaw to add greater spiritual meaning and appeal to it?
Despite William Branham's many claims about a turtledove appearing when Florence Nightingale Shirlaw was prayed for, there is no testimony or evidence from Ern Baxter, Gordon Lindsay, Jack Moore or any other alleged witness that corroborates them to be true. Rather, Reverend Francis' testimony above actually contradicts the claims because it identifies
only three things as happening in the room and none of them are related in any way to a turtledove.
Although William Branham taught that “turtledoves” symbolized Divine Healing, as he did below, his meager claims of one appearing when he prayed for Florence Nightingale Shirlaw certainly do not signify or demonstrate that she was healed Divinely,
“And He showed him on the hillside, where those pieces represented. And any Bible scholar here knows that each one of those was a clean animal that represented the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He was the Ram. He was the Heifer that made the waters of separation when you had the waters of separation through. Now we have the washing by the water, by the Word of the separation from sin, through the Word, through believing. And the Pigeon and the Turtledove, was Divine healing, that all in Christ!” “Israel And The Church #1” (53-0325).
“Notice, he said, “Now…” To this…Why didn’t he separate those? I wish I had time to go in and show you how law and grace was different, and so forth. But when it come to the turtledoves, or pigeons…And any Bible reader knows that that was the cleansing for healing. That was a healing, which in these covenants, here, are separated. But Divine healing has always been in every covenant in every time; they’re unseparated. They’re laid in there, the pigeon and the turtledove.” “The Unconditional Covenant That God Made With His People” (54-0306)
“But, when he come to the turtledove, anybody here knows that turtledoves was an offering for sickness. A leper had to offer turtledoves for his sickness. The bird was a type of the sick-offering. And then when it come to cutting them in two, no, sir, they stayed the same. They can’t be impersonated. There’s no…Nothing can heal but God. See? It was the same in the Old Testament. He said, 'I am the Lord Who heals all of your diseases.'” “He Swore By Himself” (54-1212).